The future of work

QUARTERLY MAGAZINE MARCH 2018 WHAT’S THE REAL VALUE OF A 1000 SQ FT CONDO IN VANCOUVER?

IC-designated appraisers are Canada’s real estate Avaluation experts. We apply proven, professional standards to keep the value of real estate grounded in reality. Learn more about AIC-designated appraisers and the valuable role we play in Canada’s economy by visiting the Appraisal Institute of Canada online. CONTENTS MARCH 2018 | THE FUTURE OF WORK

Looking at a world without jobs Interest grows in a guaranteed income 01

The jobs of tomorrow Liberals pour billions into innovation in effort 03 to prepare youth for the future of work

Diversity must be at core of any digital skills plank 06 An iPolitics Q&A with Jennifer Flanagan, Actua President and CEO

This time they mean it Shortage? What labour shortage? Driving digital transformation of government 29 An iPolitics Q&A with Niki Ashton 19 CONTENTS

EDITOR & PUBLISHER James Baxter Time is now to press ahead EDITORS on health innovation 11 Catharine Fulton An iPolitics Q&A Emily Kennedy Holly Lake with Senator Art Eggleton Peter Robb WRITERS Beatrice Britneff Janice Dickson Kyle Duggan Rural robots Kelsey Johnson 13 Leslie MacKinnon Automation gets a warm Kathryn May welcome on the farm Kady O’Malley Kirsten Smith Sarah Turnbull Marieke Walsh CONTRIBUTORS Paul Adams Ann-Louise Davidson The Patent problem Susan Delacourt Can we solve the mystery of stagnant 16 Rachel Gilmore intellectual property applications in PHOTOGRAPHER Canada? Matthew Usherwood DIGITAL & DESIGN Sarah West BUSINESS TEAM John Butterfield Job: Engaging Canada’s Sally Douglas 22 Emily Emberson First Nations Callie Sanderson Investing in the Indigenous workforce Yamina Tsalamlal a potential boon for Canada’s economy IPOLITICSINTEL Danelia B. Bolivar (Executive Editor) Marguerite Marlin (Deputy Editor) Kirby Bucciero Irina Cristescu Felixe Denson Cartoon Gallery James Gragg-Reilly Drawn by human hand 25 Codie Mitchell Sarah Nixon Charlie Pinkerton Curtis Rafter Vincent Rocheleau Olivia da Silva Kevin Smith Anti-social 201-17 York Street Twitter @journalism #badnews Ottawa, ON K1N 5S7 Canada 33 Office: 613-789-2772 ipolitics.ca | [email protected] iPolitics is Canada’s top digital source for independent, up-to-the-minute coverage of Canadian politics and the business of government. Looking at a world without jobs Interest grows in a guaranteed income

BY SUSAN DELACOURT

hat if the future of work means no work at all — at to see things that way. Clearly, in the United States, the least in the traditional sense? tech industry is ahead of the government on studying basic income. WAn employment-free future means lots of time for leisure and shopping, but it also means no paycheque. And Here in Canada, the idea of a basic income is also gaining that has futurists — in the private and public sector — some momentum at the provincial level — notably a thinking anew of a basic, guaranteed income. major pilot project in Ontario. Launched last year, the program is rolling out in Hamilton, Brantford, Brant County, The idea has been gathering force among the giants of the tech industry in the United States, such as Tesla Lindsay and Thunder Bay, with participants receiving up founder Elon Musk and Sam Altman, the president of the to about $17,000 for individuals and $24,000 for couples. Y-Combinator firm that launched Reddit, Dropbox and Early indications are that the program is working well for Airbnb. participants — “from barely surviving to thriving,” as one Toronto Star story put it in a progress report in March. “I think we’ll end up doing universal basic income,” Musk said at the 2017 World Government Summit in Dubai. “It’s Still, despite the many links between Liberals in Ottawa and going to be necessary.” Queen’s Park, this is not one of the ideas being shared by federal and provincial Grits. No one would say it’s on the Musk sees basic income as necessary simply because radar of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government and jobs are going to be lost to robots, artificial intelligence there was absolutely no mention of it in the federal budget. and other forms of automation. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, perhaps more optimistically, sees basic income But it is alive at the provincial level. In addition to Ontario’s as a way to give future workers the “freedom to fail.” advances down the road, British Columbia has set aside $4 million to pursue the idea and Quebec has an advisory “Now it’s our time to define a new social contract for committee studying basic income too. our generation,” Zuckerberg said in his commencement address at Harvard last year. “We should explore ideas like And, interestingly, the policy is will land on the floor of the universal basic income to give everyone a cushion to try Liberals’ biennial convention in Halifax in April. In fact, it’s a new things.” return engagement in that venue. The last time the federal Liberals gathered for a policy convention — in Winnipeg, Altman, for his part, is even doing his bit to get the ball rolling on a basic income, with Y-Combinator launching a two years ago — a majority of grassroots attendees voted large-scale test project last year in two U.S. states. About in favour of the Trudeau government pursuing the idea. 3,000 individuals are being randomly selected to take part: The 2016 resolution stated: “That the Liberal Party of 1,000 receiving $1,000 per month for up to five years, while Canada, in consultation with the provinces, develop a 2,000 are receiving $50 per month. poverty reduction strategy aimed at providing a minimum Altman has been casting this plan as one that unites guaranteed income.” liberals and conservatives — progressive policy dressed This year’s resolution for the Halifax is slightly less up as a capitalist proposition. “What I would propose is ambitious, talking generally about directing the a model like a company where you get a share in U.S. government to review progress and work toward eventual Inc.,” Altman said in an interview late last year. “And then, implementation of basic income at the federal level. instead of getting a fixed fee, you get a percentage of the GDP every year.” So far, Jean-Yves Duclos, the federal minister of Families, U.S. President Donald Trump, though a businessman and Children and Social Services, has taken an approach to basic a staunch capitalist, would probably take some persuading income that amounts to little more than benign curiosity.

MARCH 2018 IPOLITICS MAGAZINE 1 LOOKING AT A WORLD WITHOUT JOBS, INTEREST GROWS IN A GUARANTEED INCOME

Emilie Gauduchon, Duclos’ press secretary, said her boss could turn out to be beta testing for the federal Liberals — is more preoccupied with fulfilling commitments in the in policy and political terms. Liberals’ 2015 election platform and his own mandate letter. Wynne’s experiment in a limited form of pharmacare, “Minister Duclos mentioned on a few occasions that he for instance — free drugs for Ontarians under 25 — has is following the development of basic income initiatives been picked up for study by the Trudeau government, in different provinces. Right now, his priorities are in his with Wynne’s health minister, Eric Hoskins, leaving his mandate letter and basic income is not in it,” Gauduchon provincial job to lead the federal study. Could the same said in an emailed response to my queries. thing happen with basic income?

“Minister Duclos said that if provinces need some data from Like Altman, many advocates of basic income see the the government of Canada to implement these pilots, we idea as a cross-partisan one — neither right nor left. The could help them, but there is no plan to establish a federal Ontario Liberal government, we’ll remember, launched its pilot program.” program largely on the advice of a long-time Progressive Neither the government nor the minister feel any duty to Conservative, Hugh Segal. act on resolutions from Winnipeg or Halifax, she added. So maybe this is an idea whose time will come, and maybe “As you know, party policies are taken in consideration soon. With provinces such as Ontario blazing a trail, by the government but they are not automatically grassroots federal Liberals putting the idea into policy governmental policies. ... The basic income wasn’t part of resolutions at conventions and tech giants embracing the party platform during the last election and the next basic income, the Trudeau Liberals could be feeling election platform isn’t decided yet.” enough momentum to put it in an election platform.

The operative word in that last sentence may be “yet.” And if the future of work includes less work, that could What’s been going on in Ontario, with various policy be a powerful argument to make basic income a future innovations from Kathleen Wynne’s Liberal government, election issue too.

Isn’t it time for a review of our tax system?

Ask CPA Canada.

cpacanada.ca/federalbudget 2 IPOLITICS MAGAZINE MARCH 2018

18-0109 CPA-GR iPolitics Ad Mar18_EN.indd 1 2018-02-15 10:07 AM Isn’t it time for a review of our tax system? THE JOBS OF TOMORROW Liberals pour billions into innovation in effort Ask CPA Canada. to prepare youth for the future of work

BY SARAH TURNBULL cpacanada.ca/federalbudget Photo: Actua MARCH 2018 IPOLITICS MAGAZINE 3

18-0109 CPA-GR iPolitics Ad Mar18_EN.indd 1 2018-02-15 10:07 AM THE JOBS OF TOMORROW

Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development announces proposals under the $950-million Innovation Superclusters Initiative in Ottawa, Thursday, February 15, 2018.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Chartrand

he way we work in Canada is being disputed daily, emphasis on increasing the resources and infrastructure sometimes hourly. But if you that was going to slow needed to support students in this field. down soon. Think again. T “Budget 2018 represents the single largest investment in “The speed of current breakthroughs has no historical investigator-led fundamental research in Canadian history,” precedent,” wrote Klaus Schwab, the founder and boasted Finance Minister Bill Morneau in his budget speech executive chairman of the World Economic Forum. “When on Feb. 27. compared with previous industrial revolutions, the Fourth is evolving at an exponential rather than a linear pace. Just weeks before, there was an almost $1 billion Moreover, it is disrupting almost every industry in every announcement by the department of Innovation, country. And the breadth and depth of these changes Science and Economic Development (ISED) to build herald the transformation of entire systems of production, five superclusters across the country, in sectors from management, and governance.” agriculture to oceans and fisheries. That didn’t grab your attention? Perhaps this will: According “This is one of those defining moments where industry, to a June 2016 report by the Brookfield Institute for academia, and government realize that we have to step Innovation + Entrepreneurship, 42 per cent of Canada’s up our game,” said ISED Minister, Navdeep Bains in an workforce is at high-risk of being wiped out over the next interview. “We’re in a global innovation race and we have a two decades by advancements in automation. unique opportunity to work together and create enormous economic benefits.” It’s pressure like this that has prompted Canada’s top government officials to invest heavily into programs that Despite some initial concerns from stakeholders about foster innovation and prepare the next generation of the execution of the superclusters, Bains is guaranteeing workers for what’s to come. a significant boost to the economy and thousands of new jobs. The federal budget was a demonstration of this financial commitment. The Liberal government says it will inject $6.6 “Somebody asked me, ‘what’s your number one criteria billion into the science and innovation community, with an (for the superclusters)’, I said ‘jobs, jobs, jobs,’” said Bains.

4 IPOLITICS MAGAZINE MARCH 2018 THE JOBS OF TOMORROW

“We think technology will solve problems, create more jobs, “The tone needed to be set from the top, to say ‘we cannot and provide a better living standard for our children and wait for 15 years on this, until the school system catches grandchildren.” up,” said Flanagan. “We’re already playing catch up but we can’t do it any further.” It’s a reassuring message, compared to some of the frightening statistics floating around the Internet warning While the typical innovation engagement model starts with workers of an inevitable robot takeover. post-secondary students, she said it’s critical to start the conversation as soon as kids enter the school system. “With the emergence of new technology, there’s going to be major shifts in certain sectors, in certain parts of our “The skills and aptitudes for innovation – the problem economy, and that will have an impact on jobs,” said Bains. solving, the risk taking, the learning from failure – those “I think we as a government need to be very mindful of things need to be developed early. You can’t start what we can do to equip people to deal with these anxieties developing that at university, it doesn’t work.” that they’re facing about themselves and the prospects of their kids.” Flanagan insists that the ultimate goal of these programs is not for kids to become coders per se, but rather to help That’s why his department forked over another chunk of them understand the process of how technology is built. their budget to invest in youth specifically. In June 2017, Bain, alongside Science Minister, Kirsty Duncan, followed “It’s called computational thinking – which is really solving up to spend $50 million to help children code at school. problems,” said Flanagan. “Instead of just consuming technology, like ‘I need to find an app to do X’, they could Through CanCode, funding will be dispersed over two years say ‘I’m going to design an app to do X.’” to 21 not-for-profit organizations promoting digital skills in youth. Bains said it will reach up to 500,000 students from Teaching a mindset, not a skill, is something that prominent Kindergarten to Grade 12. American futurist and best-selling author, David Houle, says is vital in the digital age. “This program is really a reflection of our government’s overall commitment to promoting innovation and skills,” The ability to code is a nice-to-have, he said, but it by no said Bains. “We’re making a significant investment in young means should be the focus of government funding. people and we’re saying we want them to succeed for the “It’s well intentioned, but it’s not forward-thinking,” jobs in the long-term.” said Houle. “Teaching kids to code is like saying ‘oh, the Actua – a national charity providing science, technology, landscape in 2025 is going to be the same that’s been for engineering, and math (STEM) training to youth with a focus the last 10 years; guys in hoodies coding.” on girls and other minorities – was one of the recipients of Houle said policymakers should reconsider their approach the funding. to education to promote careers that amplify uniquely The organization’s President and CEO, Jennifer Flanagan, human qualities as they interact with intelligent machines. said she’s pleased to see government support after “At the bottom of the list, should be teaching (youth) decades of work stressing the importance of equipping specific career skills. At the top of the list, should be children with digital skills. teaching them how to think creatively, how to think with a design construct, and how to be able to assimilate, understand, and present data.” Under that same line of thinking, Houle says education systems need to move from STEM towards STEAM training, with the addition of A for Art. “AI will end up doing a lot of the jobs that come from STEM education, while it will have far less effect on jobs that demand creative human thinking,” said Houle. “If a country truly wants to prepare children for the next few decades, an art and design curricula is essential.” Both parties agree that rather than isolating specific career paths that may or may not survive this technological wave, it’s most essential to teach students how to adapt to change and instill a sense of lifelong learning. As the futurist Alvin Toffler put it, “the illiterate of the 21st Minister of Innovation, Navdeep Bains sits alongside representatives of Canada’s new Century are not those who cannot read and write but those superclusters at the Canadian Museum of Science and Technology. who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”

MARCH 2018 IPOLITICS MAGAZINE 5 6 IPOLITICS MAGAZINE MARCH 2018 An iPolitics Q&A with Jennifer Flanagan, Actua President and CEO Diversity must be at core of any digital skills plan

BY SARAH TURNBULL

Actua represents 35 organizations across the country that deliver coding and digital skills training in more than 500 communities, in and out of schools. With the government’s two- year CanCode investment, they’re ramping up their co-ed services while seeking to reach more minority youth. iPolitics talked with Actua CEO Jennifer Flanagan. The following is an edited transcript of that conversation.

Actua President and CEO Jennifer Flanagan sits down with iPolitics’ journalist Sarah Turnbull for an interview in Ottawa on Wednesday, February 14, 2018. iPolitics/Matthew Usherwood

MARCH 2018 IPOLITICS MAGAZINE 7 DIVERSITY MUST BE AT CORE OF ANY DIGITAL SKILLS PLAN

What are the economic and social benefits of Is there a nature vs. nurture debate here? Q including minority groups in this type of education Q and training? There’s no problem in girls’ interest or aptitude in A science and math. Our research shows girls are good It doesn’t make sense not to engage half of our at it, they love it, they have no initial confidence issues. Go A workforce in an area that is incredibly important into any kindergarten class and girls will be participating as for the country and in an area where there have been actively as boys. A lack of female representation in these massive gaps identified. Those gaps are going to continue areas is systemic, contextual, it’s based off the experiences in the future. that they have, and the feedback they receive.

If we’re concerned about increasing the overall economic We need to stop asking: How do women need to change strength and prosperity of Canadians, getting more to fit into science? What do girls need to do differently so women involved in science could be a solution to this. Jobs that they like science?” and How do we set things up so that in these fields are really well paid and if you think of the this can suit girls? The narrative needs to ask How does the kind of wage gaps that exist – this is definitely an area we environment and the culture need to change? can improve. It has never been about the girl, it’s always been about the Also, when you think about the fact that we live in a world context. We’ve gotten that confused. that is driven by technology and you think about the fact Is there a certain age that girls turn away from these that 90 per cent of computer scientists are men, then Q subject areas? we’re living in a world that is designed by men from their perspective. This has real consequences. The diversity of It’s around middle school, Grade six, seven, and eight. perspective is not just a nice-to-have, it’s not just a social A This is when we see that big drop start to happen. justice issue, it’s a product design issue. Experts in the field will say girls genuinely don’t think

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that coding, for example, is something that women do. Is the current government receptive to your They think it’s something that weird boys do. That’s the Q organizational objectives? perception. Yes, in a big way but for a couple of different reasons. How will your organization make use of the CanCode A From day one this government has been extremely Q investment? aware of the importance of youth engagement in this area. In the past, no government has ever stood up and We’re ramping our services way up, and specifically the said not only do we agree with it, but we’re going to A programs we’re doing with girls, Indigenous youth, and invest a significant amount of money here. So, forget at-risk youth. Our network delivers programming in 500 about the money, the fact that they have announced communities in every province and territory. this as a critical part of innovation, of advancing CanCode puts focus in the right area because improving research in the country, of the next gen. workforce, is programs for those audiences is going to improve transformational. Just the credibility and the leadership programs for everyone. from the top matters a lot. I think the commitment is very authentic from the people that I’ve worked with What are your thoughts on STEM vs. STEAM? and I believe that they want to make change in a really Q significant way. For Actua, the arts side of things has always been very A much a part of how we approach teaching because we This funding will end in March 2019 so we want to see a look at it holistically. We have always taken that approach continuation of this but I feel optimistic that we’ll be able without needing to include the word arts. So, we won’t to demonstrate good strong results. move to saying STEAM anytime soon. What has been your biggest obstacle over the last What I think is interesting is that kids have eliminated the Q few years at Actua? line between tech innovation and social innovation. For the most part, they all want to improve something either in Parents to a certain extent understand how digital their community or in the world and so that naturally drives A skills will be important but I think there’s a concern what they do. If they need arts incorporated into their about online safety that is very valid. Especially with girls, solution they’re just going to use it. that concern is heightened and that is causing parents to pull girls away from screen time or be a little bit more Is the end goal to produce a group of youth that will rigid in the way their kids are engaging with technology. Q become coders? So, there’s a fear mindset I think.

When we do activities around artificial intelligence or There are legitimate online safety concerns and that’s A a specific programming language, it isn’t about that why we’re focusing so much on that topic right now. technology it’s about the mindset that we’re developing. But, with parents it’s about saying empowering your Because they’ve understood the process that goes into kids with digital skills is the best way to keep them safe how technology is built, and the coding process specifically, online versus pulling them offline or a top-down rules they can then acquire new skills that are more current and approach. relevant. That’s the narrative that needs to be out there so that parents are understanding that this isn’t just a flash in Of what are you most proud? the pan thing. Q We’re transforming kids’ lives, we’re helping You have kids, what career would you advise your A communities, but I’m most proud of the work we’re Q children to enter into? doing to embed the value of diversity and inclusion in a generation of workers that is about to enter the We don’t talk about jobs anymore really, nor do we talk workforce. A about careers. Because it’s so hard to predict what’s going to happen 10 years from now, we talk more about We have 1,000 undergraduate students that are what problem they want to solve and how can science and employed by our network members. Those are students technology help them to do that. It’s a different way of who will be leaders in engineering and science – they’ll be thinking. teachers, they’ll be parents. They’re superstars already. In their experience with Actua, they’ve had Indigenous If we want to produce people who are innovative, we need to cultural awareness training, they’ve had gender issues have that innovation reflected in our universities and our K to training, they’ve worked in cross-cultural contexts. 12 system. My kids are still young, but I’ll make sure they’re They’re going out into the world with those world views, digitally literate so they’re not just consuming technology – changed and I think that’s incredibly powerful. that they actually understand how it works and that they’ve been given opportunities to build their own technology.

MARCH 2018 IPOLITICS MAGAZINE 9 PDF/X-1a:2003

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Check couleur : C M J N Les sorties laser ne reflètent pas fidèlement les couleurs telles qu’elles paraîtront List sur le produit fini. Cette épreuve est utilisée à des fins de mise en page seulement. An iPolitics Q&A with Senator Art Eggleton Time is now to press ahead on health innovation

Late last year, the Senate Committee of Social Affairs, Science and Technology released its report of its study into the developing roles of robotics, 3D printing and artificial intelligence in the healthcare system, outlining issues from automation affecting jobs to dealing with complex new privacy concerns. iPolitics’ health writer Kyle Duggan caught up with Sen. Art Eggleton, the chair of the committee. The following is an edited transcript.

BY KYLE DUGGAN

Sen. Art Eggleton. Photo: Senate of Canada.

MARCH 2018 IPOLITICS MAGAZINE 11 TIME IS NOW TO PRESS AHEAD ON HEALTH INNOVATION

Is there one thing that surprised you the most when When you look at some of the things on the horizon, Q you were working on this study, one thing that struck Q things like AI prescribing, what issues confront its you looking at the future of healthcare ... that you hadn’t advancement? considered that was overwhelmingly surprising? Artificial Intelligence, for example, needs a lot of data. One of the things I found is there’s an inconsistency A ... I think a very key factor in all of that is privacy. As A here: We’ve kept on the ball in terms of research, even data moves from personal records into the system, I think when some other countries were abandoning a lot of the while it’s an aggregate process, a lot of private information basic research. On deep learning, for example, we kept is involved. I think that’s a consideration. Another one is, you know, robots provide the physical whereas AI provides going, which I thought was terrific. We’re putting ourselves brains, and the more the two are moving down the line in a position to be able to develop these products that of things that they can accomplish, the more automation can improve our healthcare system – robotics, AI and 3D of systems, the more we have to look at human control. printing. That’s a big ethical consideration. Just how far we go with But then we (heard) people who said they were having diminishing human control, giving artificial control more difficulty getting approval for products in this country. prevalence in more aspects in health care. That’s an ethical And I thought well that’s very inconsistent, how can that consideration. be? For example, you’ll see in the report a reference to a There’s an international group, by-and-large centred in company called Kinova that produced a robotic arm called the United States – the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Jaco. Ninety per cent of their revenues were from outside Engineers – digging deeply into the ethical questions, so I Canada, they had a strong market for their product in think we’re going to look to them and other entities and hear the Netherlands, but they were having problems getting what they have to say. But we’re in the early stages of this. ... approval in Canada. There are two aspects to the approval We’re just at the point in the process that needs a lot more process: to get Health Canada ... to accept the different attention, through this national conference. It would not be products, and (then) there are the provinces which deliver a convention in a traditional sense but a conference where the healthcare system — getting them on board to promote the experts and stakeholders form working groups, with a use in health-care institutions. So on the one hand, there’s a secretariat provided by the government. push forward, we’re in a lead role, there’s good possibilities, What made the committee want to look into but on the other hand when we jump to commercialization Q automation and technology. or we come to putting these products into use, everything Health-care costs. We’ve dealt with healthcare issues slows down. A for a number of years. We’re called the social affairs So that inconsistency is most unfortunate. We’re going to and technology committee but we’re really also the health put a lot of money into research, we can’t drag our feet committee. Over the years in various studies we’ve done, when it comes to putting it on the market for people to be looking at the health accord, pharmaceuticals, dementia, able to benefit from it. obesity and other chronic healthcare matters, we’ve gotten information from experts and we’ve got a feel for issues If you were working on a federal budget, given what in health care, and we continue to see rising costs, taking Q you’ve learned in the committee study, what would a greater share of the tax dollars. We also saw greater you put in there? opportunities for much more efficiency, much less cost We’re not experts on scientific matters of advancement. and much more reliability, whether it’s in terms of assisted robots for people with chronic conditions or the elderly, A There’s a whole raft of issues that have to be or whether it’s 3D printing that helps operations and helps considered. That’s why we suggested experts be brought develop prosthetics and other devices like hearing aids. Or together at a national conference, and these things need whether remote medicine provided through robots and AI to be part of that: ethical considerations, commercial products. So we said well, we have got to do something on considerations, health-care delivery renewal and so on. We this because it’s at hand. Technology will march (and) but we need the people involved in this to tell us where the barriers should embrace it. We need to embrace it with some caution are and where the needs for further investment and further because of the ethical considerations, the impact on jobs, modification on how we move forward including putting the needs for training and education, all of those things will these automated products into use. come into play. But we need to get on with it. Is there any sense the government is taking the report How urgent is it those concerns get addressed? Q recommendations seriously, for example creating a Q The technology is not waiting for us to develop national conference on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and 3D A regulations, guidelines, whatever you want to call them. printing in healthcare? But I think we need to move as quick as possible. It shouldn’t We haven’t heard back from them yet. The Senate take too long to draw all this expertise into a national A adopted our report on Nov. 28. The minister of health conference and start to dig into the specifics. If we do that, has until late April to come back with a response. I’m and do it kindly, the lead we’ve had on research can evolve hopeful they will say that they would favour that kind of into a lead in the development of products and services not direction. But so far no commitment. only for the benefit of our own people and beyond.

12 IPOLITICS MAGAZINE MARCH 2018 Rural robots Automation gets a warm welcome on the farm

BY KELSEY JOHNSON

n the surface, an automated pressure washer may not sound like a revolutionary piece of farm equipment, Obut for Ontario hog producer Dave DeVries, it was a game changer. “I didn’t feel that, being the owner and operator, my time was best spent standing behind a pressure washer,” DeVries told iPolitics when reached on his farm near Drayton, Ont. “It was better off working with the pigs and doing animal husbandry.” DeVries and his wife Lauren, who teaches two and half days a week, own and operate a 220 sow farrow-to-finish operation. They took over the family farm in 2002. Before he bought the robot in March 2016, Devries said he would spend up to seven hours a week washing his barn. He spends half that time now – mostly doing touchups in corners where the robot can’t reach as well. “It doesn’t save all the time but does it allow me to do other jobs. It frees up some time.” The learning curve, he said was “fairly easy.” The robot is not restricted to daytime. Once programmed, “it can work away on its own ... at night.” It operates three to four times a week. The $60,000 machine, which the 35-year-old farmer imported from Sweden and financed over five-years, is the first of its kind in his area. It looks a bit like a land rover, with a long arm that can be operated by a joy stick, if required.

Photo left: Dave DeVries

MARCH 2018 IPOLITICS MAGAZINE 13 RURAL ROBOTS

“The dairy sector has really jumped on robotics, with the robotic milkers and such. A lot of them are going in on the mid-sized farms and once you get to larger dairy operations, they’re putting in really high capacity parlours that reduce the labour.” The first piece of robotic milking equipment was installed on a Canadian dairy farm in 1999. By 2012, it was estimated that three per cent of Canada’s 273 dairy farms had invested in a robotic milker, according to Farm Credit Canada, with demand steadily increasing. Photo: Dave DeVries Those technologies, Bonnett said, provide a farmer with “a really good For a smaller operation, extra human help isn’t really an handle on the productivity of each option. “I’ve had part-time help in the past – and good individual animal” because the milker also measures yields part-time help – but it isn’t easy to find,” DeVries explained, from each cow and regularly samples the milk to determine adding “I guess I just got tired of training people.” things such as protein levels and fat levels. The robot also allowed his operation to go antibiotic free, Greenhouses today, he said, are “mind-blowing” because he said – a trend that is popular with consumers. they’re filled with equipment that can help move, water and fertilize the plants. While he knows of one other farm that has bought a robotic washer robot, DeVries says, “there have been some Automation on farms is also creating “jobs on the technical inquires and I think people are watching.” side,” Bonett said, with the new equipment requiring technicians and computer programmers to keep them He expects more farmers will make the investment, which running. Those tasks are often higher skilled compared to costs about the same as a pickup truck, given the Ontario the more menial jobs the technology is replacing. government’s decision to raise the minimum wage to $14 an hour. “Since the increase on January 1st, I think a lot of Robots aren’t the only piece of technology shaking up the guys are taking a long, hard look at it.” It’s set to increase farming world. again, to $15 an hour next Jan. 1. Travel to a farm show or agriculture conference these Canadian agriculture has been grappling with a serious days, and it’s not uncommon to see folks gathered around labour shortage for years. A 2016 Conference Board of a farmer demonstrating how his or her smart phone is Canada report commissioned by the Canadian Agriculture monitoring the temperature in their livestock barn or grain Human Resource Council found the multi-billion dollar bin. Mobile phones have become an essential piece of farm sector is short more than 59,000 farm workers. It’s hurting equipment, from weather apps to data collection, record producers’ bottom lines and is expected to escalate to and book-keeping, in-barn video monitoring and drone- 114,000 job openings by 2025. based crop surveillance. The lack of available help has cost Canadian farmers at This reliance on cellphones and other online technologies least $1.5 billion in lost cash receipts, the report added, means major companies – including Microsoft and with 17 per cent of 1,037 people surveyed noting they the Canadian telecom giant Telus – have flagged the had put off expansion plans because of the labour agriculture industry as a potential growth market. The crunch. Automated equipment, farmers say, is one way United Nations expects the world’s population to reach producers can try to deal with the burgeoning worker nine billion in 2050 — growth that will require Canadian shortfall. farmers and ranchers to increase production by 70 per “Our biggest problem is getting labour,” Canadian cent to meet demand. Canada is the world’s fifth largest Federation of Agriculture President Ron Bonnett, a cow-calf agriculture exporter. producer from Ontario, said. “We know the technology that has been available has been “A lot of the jobs that automation displaces are very labour somewhat complex, it’s been difficult to install, difficult to intensive, more menial tasks – a repetitive task. Frankly, maintain and the raw connectivity that we’ve talked about it’s very hard to find people to do those jobs.” Robots and hasn’t always been there,” Mike Dittrich, director for Telus’ other mechanized tools, he noted, are particularly useful in Smart Agriculture and Business Future sections told iPolitics horticulture and the dairy industry. in a recent interview.

14 IPOLITICS MAGAZINE MARCH 2018 RURAL ROBOTS

But, Dittrich said, he thinks Telus can make a difference by Even tractors aren’t immune from the technological working with the agriculture community to develop revolution. Self-driving tractors have been unveiled at products that are cost-effective and user friendly as several North American farm shows. demand for Canadian agricultural products grows. The Trudeau government has challenged this country’s Internationally, researchers from Australia’s University agriculture industry to grow their exports to $75 billion by of Southern Queensland have partnered with industry, 2025 in Budget 2017. Current Canadian agriculture exports including John Deere, to try and develop a driverless range between $50 billion to $55 billion. tractor that could help producers lower input costs and improve productivity by being more precise and efficient. Telus and Microsoft recently backed an unsuccessful pan- Canadian bid for federal funding for data collection and New technologies are also giving Canadian farmers a new- other Smart Agriculture technologies during the Liberal found freedom. Since purchasing the robot,” DeVries said government’s multi-million dollar Supercluster competition, he’s had “more family time” to spend with his boys, aged which looked at improving on-farm networks and digital two and four. infrastructure in agriculture. There’s also likely an added health benefit. While not Budget 2018 included $100 million over five years to proven, DeVries said he believes the robot is “better boost rural broad band internet – with a special focus on for my health” because he spends less time “breathing supporting projects that relate to low Earth orbit (LEO) in that air, with all the manure in it, and dirt, for long satellites. Those satellites, the budget said, “have the periods of time.” potential to provide Canadians living in rural and remote areas with significantly improved access to Internet and Bonnett agrees, noting any tool that reduces a farmer’s wireless services at more affordable prices.” stress is positive. “It becomes a lifestyle thing. I think It also included $572.5 million in promised funding over farmers are looking to see if there is anything they can do five years, with $52 million per year ongoing, for a Digital – particularly in livestock trade – so that they’re not tied to Research Infrastructure strategy that would find ways to the barns 18 hours a day.” help researchers access and work with big data.

Le temps n’est-il pas venu de repenser notre système fiscal?

Demandez à CPA Canada.

cpacanada.ca/budgetfederal MARCH 2018 IPOLITICS MAGAZINE 15

18-0109 CPA-GR iPolitics Ad Mar18_FR.indd 1 2018-02-15 10:06 AM The patent problem Can we solve the mystery of stagnant intellectual property applications in Canada?

BY BEATRICE BRITNEFF

Fewer Canadians are filing for patent rights for their inventions here at home than 10 years ago. Nobody can, with certainty, say why – but a new, national strategy on intellectual property (IP) announced in the 2018 federal budget promises to implement measures to encourage more citizens to take the first step in protecting their homegrown innovations in Canada.

16 IPOLITICS MAGAZINE MARCH 2018 THE PATENT PROBLEM

he perpetuation of this downward domestic trend was Grant Lynds, president of the Intellectual Property Institute recently confirmed by the Canadian Intellectual Property of Canada, pointed to a finding in the 2017 IP Report – also TOffice, which administers Canada’s IP system under published by CIPO – which noted that research undertaken Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada by the government agency shows a correlation in three (ISED). The office has, over the years, compiled the numbers trends: patent filings, manufacturing activity and spending concluding it’s receiving fewer patent applications from on research and development. Canadians than before – with no upswing on the horizon. “Canada has seen a decline in research and development A 2017 evaluation report on the special agency’s patent expenditure as a share of GDP and in manufacturing services noted the overall demand took a dive after the output as a share of GDP since the early to mid-2000s,” the 2008-2009 financial crisis and then plateaued. The number report reads. “We see a correlation between R&D spending of patent filings from Canadians, specifically, also declined and patent applications in the literature. We also see steadily over a decade – tanking nearly 18 per cent between that the Canadian private sector invests less in R&D than 2005 and 2015 to “about 4,300 applications per year.” similar countries.” The CIPO report in question was approved by the deputy The CIPO evaluation report from last spring noted the minister of ISED last spring but was only posted on the lag in patent filings domestically may also be due, in part, universal government website for evaluations in early January. to a lack of education – noting that Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) may have “low awareness In the document, the IP agency says the reasons for the of the benefits of IP and of the services CIPO provides.” The decline are “unclear” and it’s undertaken work to figure agency proposed more outreach activities on its part to out “why Canada has lagged behind other countries in the increase awareness among domestic companies. growth of patent applications.” Geist, too, cited awareness as a possible issue – one to Patent applications – which inventors and companies file which he thinks the government has already given some when they want to buy protection for their innovations so attention. He noted that another factor could be that “many no one else can copy or steal them – and patent rights are of the so-called Canadian tech companies” are “branches of time-limited and jurisdictionally based. This means a patent larger multinationals” based in the U.S. acquired in Canada doesn’t protect an invention beyond Canadian borders. At the end of the day, however, the decline in domestic patent filings by Canadian applicants since the mid-2000’s Any additional protection would require filing in another doesn’t mean Canadians are innovating less than before, country or, alternatively, an applying through the Patent according to the 2017 IP report. The numbers in the report Co-operation Treaty – which allows one application to show the amount of patent applications submitted by cover multiple jurisdictions at a time. Other types of IP Canadians in foreign countries in fact grew by 21 per cent applications include trademarks and industrial designs. over the past decade. Without more data, CIPO and stakeholders can only In 2015, Canadians filed for 19,857 patents abroad, hypothesize about why Canadians prefer to seek patent compared to 4,277 patents domestically, the report says – rights abroad. The IP agency doesn’t seem to think it’s an although “the same invention may be counted more than issue of quality, arguing in last year’s evaluation report that once” as Canadians can seek protection in more than one there is “some evidence” to suggest the quality of Canadian markets for each inventions. patents “compares well” with other jurisdictions. A breakdown of the 2015 numbers demonstrate that the Michael Geist, a law professor and Canada research United States is Canada’s biggest competitor when it comes chair in internet and e-commerce law at the University of to patent filings. Out of the Canadian applications filed Ottawa, said it’s “always hard” to figure out “why someone abroad that year, 66 per cent went to the U.S., compared to doesn’t do something.” eight per cent to the European Patent Office. “It’s not like you have a ready body of organizations that are This finding doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone, given the ready to explain why they didn’t file with you,” he said. size of the American economy and Canada’s commercial Still, Geist – who specializes in technology and digital law ties to the United States. and policy and writes frequently on IP issues – ventured “Any company that is looking to grow commercially and a few guesses in an interview with iPolitics. He said the protect themselves by looking to patent protection – patenting process can be costly and so Canadian inventors especially a Canadian company, given our geographically and companies might be filing for IP rights strategically. proximity – will be interested in ‘what do I need to do to “There’s a real expense for companies and organizations protect myself in the United States,” Lynds said. to engage in these filings and so there’s been a tendency Meanwhile, five per cent of the Canadian filings submitted to target jurisdictions where those patent rights would be abroad in 2015 went to China – but that number is in fact viewed as most valuable and they’re most likely to seek to on the rise. The 2017 report notes that Canadian patent enforce,” he said. filings to China “have increased by 36 per cent since 2006.”

MARCH 2018 IPOLITICS MAGAZINE 17 THE PATENT PROBLEM

Building on these facts, Geist said he would caution generate, and license or purchase intellectual property.” anyone against drawing a “direct correlation” between the numbers of annual, domestic patent filings and the health “This collective will work with Canada’s entrepreneurs to of innovation in Canada. pool patents so that small and medium-sized firms have better access to the critical IP they need to grow their “There is a lot of innovation that takes place outside the businesses,” the budget reads. formal IP system and the decreasing reliance or the static reliance right now in terms of Canadian filings might The financial plan also pledged millions to improve support that,” he said. “Part of the problem may be that Canadian entrepreneurs’ access to IP legal clinics at we’re using the wrong metric to identify innovation.” universities and to the creation of an ‘IP marketplace,’ which Ottawa envisions as “a one-stop online listing of Meanwhile, Lynds said it’s still a “concern” to see low public sector-owned IP available for licensing or sale to numbers of patent filings domestically and worries about reduce transaction costs for business and researchers.” what impact it might have on Canada’s commercial activity. The budget stated that the Minister of ISED, Navdeep “Manufacturing, R&D and then patent protection … nobody Bains, would publish the full strategy “in the coming likes to see a decline in all of those types of activities, as a months” and that he would “also consider further country where you want to keep your economy going and measures, including through legislation, in support of the moving in the right direction,” he said. new intellectual property strategy.” While Budget 2018 – released February 27 – didn’t include The proposed investment into the national IP strategy the “full details” of the government’s promised new is $85.3 million over a five-year period, plus a $2 million IP strategy for Canada, it included snapshots of three injection over three years to Statistics Canada to conduct initiatives that are expected, among other things, to an IP survey to “help identify how Canadians understand contribute to the growth of domestic patent filings in the and use intellectual property, including groups that have long term. traditional been less likely to use intellectual property, The government has proposed the creation of a ‘patent such as women and Indigenous entrepreneurs.” collective’, which it describes as “a way for firms to share,

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GRITANDGLORYSC.COM | 700 SUSSEX DR. OTTAWA, ON K1N 1K4 18 IPOLITICS MAGAZINE MARCH 2018 NDP Leadership candidate Niki Ashton meet with iPolitics’ journalist Janice Dickson in Ottawa on Tuesday, August 15, 2017. iPolitics/Matthew Usherwood

he Canadian economy may have lost 88,000 An iPolitics Q&A with Niki Ashton jobs in 2017, but there is still a significant labour Tshortage in Canada where skilled workers are needed to fill positions in sectors that struggle to maintain staff. Shortage? According to a report from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) from December, 2017, there are around 361,700 unfilled jobs in Canada. Ted What labour Mallet, chief economist of CFIB and the author of the report ‘Help Wanted,’ said in most job sectors there is an upward trend toward higher vacancy rates. The Vacancy Rate is an indicator of pressures in the shortage? labour market, Mallet explained, and it shows that there is less slack, and so when unemployment rates go BY JANICE DICKSON down, vacancy rates go up.

MARCH 2018 IPOLITICS MAGAZINE 19 SHORTAGE? WHAT LABOUR SHORTAGE?

“The only thing the government can really do is ensure How do you see the Temporary Foreign Worker we have a good functioning mobile labour force so when Q program helping the labour shortage? opportunities do come up and businesses are able to Such programs leave workers in a state of vulnerability offer positions then you don’t end up with pockets of A and cannot act as a permanent replacement for unemployment in one part of the economy and pockets of Canadian workers, which is a growing and worrying trend. vacancies in others,” said Mallet. The closed work permits that exist for some migrant workers within the Temporary Foreign Worker Program The report showed that the sectors experiencing the sometimes lead to abuse and the program is ripe for a biggest labour shortages are retail (50,000), hospitality serious review. Canada is more open to temporary migrant (45,900) and construction (38,000). British Columbia has the workers than it is to permanent immigration, which is highest job vacancy rate, followed by Quebec and Ontario. a source of injustice. Migrant workers deserve a path to citizenship and to the freedom every other worker in NDP MP and labour critic Niki Ashton said the government Canada has. To limit the abuses that can occur within the needs to invest in jobs training and be a partner for program, the government needs to do more in terms of provinces as they invest in education. job training, and needs to further assess if there are labour shortages in low-skilled sectors of the workforce. Ashton is well versed in labour issues. The Manitoba MP travelled across the country in 2016 and stopped in 14 What action should the government take to fill job cities to meet with millennials to hear their stories about Q vacancies? Why? precarious work. In an emailed interview she talked about Canada not being at full-employment, training for jobs the state of work in Canada today. What follows is an A and making sure that unemployed workers can access edited version of that exchange. available jobs has to be the priority. Frontline services must be available for job-seekers and they need to have access to There are over 300,000 unfilled jobs in Canada. What skills training when they need it. Q do you see as the largest factor contributing to the labour shortage in Canada? How do you see Ontario’s minimum wage hike Q impacting the labour market? It is our understanding that further study and data Increasing the minimum wage will in the long run help collection regarding labour shortages is needed in A A the economy, as workers receive more disposable order to properly assess the situation. Some regions may income that will be spent rather than saved. This will be more affected than others and there have been reports ultimately help many small businesses in the service and regarding certain industries, where labour scarcity seems retail industries, among others. more widespread. As many workers enter retirement, it will be important for the government to invest resources in Do you think the criticism of Ontario’s decision to skills training to make sure that unemployed workers may Q raise minimum wage is fair? find work where it is available. No, as it does not take into account the long-term A impacts of offering workers a living income. The On the other hand, Statistics Canada said the minimum-wage also needs to keep track with inflation, and Q economy lost 88,000 jobs in January. How do you must not remain static. reconcile the labour shortage with the number of jobs lost? What would you propose as a solution to the labour Q shortage? The broader trend that we have seen in Canada’s job A market remains that jobs that are full-time, well-paying As long as Canada falls below full employment, more A can be done to match unemployed workers with and with benefits are harder to find. This is where the available jobs in their area. government needs to draw its attention, and make sure that the economy works for everyone. How do you plan for the future when the job market is Q changing so quickly? Why do you think positions in certain sectors like Q transportation, agriculture, and also small businesses Access to post-secondary education and skilled trades have a difficult time maintaining staff? A training has been increasingly important, and the trend is there to stay. The government needs to keep investing It can be difficult in many parts of the country to in training workers and make sure that they are being A retain workers in industries that are seasonal in supported and that their skills are transferable, whether nature. Employment insurance can be a part of that through training programs or encouraging businesses in maintaining training programs. solution, but it often does not last long enough to bridge workers in between seasons. In other sectors, labour Tackling student debt, the high price of post-secondary shortages may cause increased costs for companies who education and making sure that no student is prevented wish to retain their workers and cause serious strain. A from accessing the level of education they aspire to for balance of incentives through enhanced benefits and economic reasons should be the government’s priority. wages and communicating the economic opportunities Eliminating the barriers to higher education will ultimately benefit the economy, as the jobs they open to are less likely in such industries to unemployed workers seeking new to disappear. opportunities can be considered.

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MARCH 2018 IPOLITICS MAGAZINE 21

0218-IOG-SpringIssue-V3.indd 1 2018-02-09 1:28 PM Gustav Semigak was born in Hebron, Nunatsiavut, Labrador in 1956 and forced out with everyone else in 1959 when the community was resettled. Since 2003, he’s returned every summer to work on restoring the Mission building. Photo by Holly Lake.

here is a cohort in Canada with the potential to inject billions into the economy and give GDP a 0.3 per cent boost. Job: Engaging TCanada’s untapped Indigenous workforce is that group and their economic potential is a subject of much interest because they form the youngest and fastest growing Canada’s First Nations demographic a country with an otherwise aging population. Yet they don’t participate in the economy at the same rate as non-Indigenous Canadians. In 2011, Statistics Canada found Investing in the Indigenous the employment rate for working-age Indigenous people was 62.5 per cent. Their non-Indigenous counterparts boasted a workforce a potential boon 75.8 per cent employment rate. for Canada’s economy Working-age First Nations had a 57.1 per cent employment rate and Inuit sat at 58.6 per cent. Métis had the highest rate, 71.2 per cent, still below the non-Indigenous employment BY RACHEL GILMORE rate. And once they find work, Indigenous people are also often paid less than their non-Indigenous colleagues.

22 IPOLITICS MAGAZINE MARCH 2018 INVESTING IN INDIGENOUS WORKFORCE A POTENTIAL BOON FOR CANADA’S ECONOMY

More than 1.67 million people in Canada identify themselves The 2018 budget signalled a $2 billion investment over five as an Aboriginal person, according to the 2016 Census. The years in a new Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Indigenous population in Canada grew by 42.5 per cent Strategy. While this provides potential training for some between 2006 and 2016 with 44 per cent under age of 25 in kinds of work, it doesn’t address the existing issues facing 2016 educational institutions on reserves. In 2016, there were 1,673,785 Aboriginal people in Canada, Long term financing 4.9 per cent of the total population. The funding Indigenous communities receive through If shortfalls in employment and income were rectified, federal transfers – for some communities their only source Indigenous workers could add about $7 billion into Canada’s of revenue – often lasts only five years. The advisory council economy. report notes that limits the ability of communities to plan for a medium term future. It can make it difficult for community This is especially important now. leaders to obtain private-sector loans. It can also hurt “We have a huge aging problem in Canada and so the Indigenous contractors, as they are prevented “from bidding productivity challenge from that is going to be significant for on large contracts” because of “an inability to secure bonding us over the next 50 years,” said Dominic Barton, Chair of the for businesses based on-reserve,” the report says. Advisory Council on Economic Growth. “Long-term commitments to (funding) will help the private The question, then, is how does Canada tap into this sector in terms of hiring people for jobs and so forth,” said economic benefit waiting in the wings? This is something the Barton. council grappled with in their 2017 report, Tapping Economic Federal transfer agreements also generally only apply to Potential Through Broader Workforce Participation. Here’s a social programs. That makes it tough for communities to use breakdown of what the council says needs to happen. the funds for business investments. Education Funding uncertainty is coupled with the mountains of The advisory council says “high-quality primary and paperwork in the reports that Indigenous communities secondary education is critical for building the skills required must file to fulfill their funding obligations. Added up, it’s for inclusion and success in the workforce.” However, schools understandable why communities may struggle making job- in Indigenous communities are often under-resourced and creating business investments. under-funded. The cost of delivering education services The Indigenous Services department says it will address this on reserves exceeds the funding Indigenous communities issue through long-term funding but this commitment has receive. This leads to issues like crumbling, hazardous school yet to work its way into Indigenous financing systems. facilities that force Indigenous children off-reserve and away from culturally sensitive learning. The 2018 budget takes a small step towards fixing financing issues. The government is investing $188.6 million over five The impact of this combination of inadequate education and years in Indigenous financial institutions to build capacity. poor facilities is reflected in the stats. Indigenous people They’re also investing $189.2 million in 2018-19 to begin have lower literacy and numeracy skills than non-Indigenous implementing new fiscal policy reforms co-developed with Canadians. On top of that, just 44 per cent of First Nations self-governing Indigenous groups. people living on reserve have graduated high school. The non-Indigenous national average is 88 per cent. Only time will tell if these investments help to spur investment on reserves. Some communities are grappling with this issue. In the summer of 2017, 23 Ontario First Nations struck a deal with Better digital connections the province to give the signatory Anishinabek communities full educational authority over Indigenous children from Lots of people work online today. It allows for more kindergarten to grade 12. While the impact of the agreement scheduling flexibility and lets employers hire workers from has yet to reveal itself, Crown-Indigenous relations minister down the street or on the other side of the world. While Carolyn Bennett described the Anishinabek Education the internet would increase job opportunities in rural and System to the Toronto Star as “the largest self-government remote communities, there’s a problem: broadband access is agreement in Canada.” insufficient or non-existent in those areas. The government dedicated funds to address this educational “Four in 10 Indigenous businesses have no Internet gap in the 2016 budget, but as the Senate Aboriginal Peoples’ connection or an unreliable one” said the advisory council’s committee heard at the end of 2017, it hasn’t made a huge report, urging action that it believes would invigorate the difference – yet. During the meeting, Deputy Grand Chief untapped Indigenous workforce. While the government has Glen Hare of the Anishinabek Nation described how a high undertaken various initiatives over the years in an attempt school dance in his community had a small incident. Unlike to boost WiFi and phone signals in remote areas, the the usual disruptive things that might happen at a high government still has a way to go to bridge the broadband school dance, Hare said the school dance ended when pipes gap that exists between Indigenous and non-Indigenous fell from the ceiling. communities.

MARCH 2018 IPOLITICS MAGAZINE 23 INVESTING IN INDIGENOUS WORKFORCE A POTENTIAL BOON FOR CANADA’S ECONOMY

Barton said expanded broadband services are “not going to pre-placement programs and training, which the report happen overnight.” says are a “critical reason” for the company’s success in increasing Indigenous employment. The government took a baby step towards establishing better broadband access in the 2018 budget. They plan to invest in The budget’s boost to Indigenous financial institutions LEO satellite technologies through beefing up the Strategic and its $189.2 million investment in co-developing Innovation Fund by $100 million over five years. Those and implementing new fiscal policy reforms with self- satellites are situated closer to the earth, transmitting data governing Indigenous groups could help to encourage with much quicker response times. public-private engagement. The proposed strengthening of the First Nations Land Management Act might also Public-private partnerships help communities to attract private partners. The fourth and final area that the council wants the If the government succeeds in incentivising the government to help jump start is public-private partnerships Indigenous workforce, Barton says the benefits will not between Indigenous communities and businesses. The only be felt in the GDP and GDP per capita. advisory council report explains that these partnerships could help to build capacity and help communities and “There’s a very strong linkage between people being their private partners to “promote employment, skills able to have a job and other costs that come from the development, and economic development” in communities, system,” Barton said. “When someone’s employed, and also encourage private sector organizations to re- there’s the multiplier effect for less … social security evaluate Indigenous hiring practices. costs broadly, not just unemployment insurance but (things like) mental health.” “We’ve seen some of the hydro companies in Manitoba, also in Quebec, doing things to help (Indigenous workers) in For Barton, the benefits make Indigenous workforce employment and skills development,” said Barton. participation everyone’s business. The council report says that Manitoba Hydro draws “over 18 “It’s not an Indigenous issue – it’s a broader issue,” he said. per cent of its total workforce and 50 per cent of its Northern workforce from the Indigenous community.” It offers

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MARCH 2018 IPOLITICS MAGAZINE 25 26 IPOLITICS MAGAZINE MARCH 2018 Battle of the sexes Gender inequality is alive and kicking in technology

BY ANN-LOUISE DAVIDSON

n International Women’s Day, it’s worth a harsh way to learn how the machine operates, how to adjust and reminder: Women working in science, technology, optimize it and how to design 3D objects. engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers represent O This knowledge allows learners to solve real-life problems a mere 20 per cent of the current job force in the field. and it also develops creativity. According to Statistics Canada, women in STEM are also underpaid compared to their male counterparts. What’s A savvy maker can buy a DIY kit from China and build their more, more women than men enrol in university, but men own 3D printer, thus obtaining the means of production of with lower academic marks are more likely to choose STEM prototyped objects in the comfort of their own home. careers than women with higher marks. Many informal online groups exist to support the community Bigger studies on large populations are unable to fully of makers who wish to construct open-source 3D kits that explain this phenomenon and point to other possible factors are not always easy to build. Sometimes there are faulty and influences. instructions. Other times, the printer version changes between the moment of production and the moment the There are a multitude of possible causes, such as differences customer receives it. Other times, the printer is simply in labour market expectations, family/work balance, challenging to build. differences in motivation, ambition, interests, self-esteem and self-confidence. But these purported causes only satisfy For that reason, there are many groups on Facebook and outsiders trying to explain the trend. Reddit dedicated to troubleshooting 3D printing projects. Any insider will tell you the real issue is that women are still Some have thousands of members all over the world victims of outdated stereotypes, even in the countries that responding to questions at all hours. Anyone who has pride themselves on gender equality. questions on how to build the structure, connect the wires to the electronic circuit board or calibrate the printer can post This is true when accessing the STEM labour market, in their question, document problems with photos or videos school and in informal face-to-face and online communities. when possible, and the community is there to help them. Despite the advances women have made in the 20th century If the person asking the question is male, they’ll receive and the ongoing #MeToo movement, women working in helpful advice virtually 100 per cent of the time. Not so if fields of innovative and disruptive technologies continue to you’re a woman. be targeted by gender discrimination and various forms of harassment, and they’re outnumbered. In these 3D printing online communities, as in the 3D printing industry, women appear to be rare. In our respective roles as a researcher and a vlogger living at two opposing ends of the world, my co-author Naomi Women who post questions are often dismissed with Wu and I share a common base of experience. We are both comments such as: self-taught coders and makers, we have both been victims “Your learning curve is quite steep. You should find a guy in of online harassment and abusive behaviour, and we have your area with electronics knowledge who can help you. Lol!” both presented our work under male pseudonyms. “C-nts should not build machines they don’t understand.” Let’s take the topic of 3D printing. If you want to develop expertise, building your own 3D printer is really the best “I don’t mean to be sexist, but this is not a place for stupid questions.”

Photo left: Faith Lennox, 7, right, smiles as she holds a plastic prosthetics part with her newly 3D printed hand at the Build it Workspace in Los Alamitos, Calif.,in 2015. Lennox helped design the limb using a 3D printer. AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes

MARCH 2018 IPOLITICS MAGAZINE 27 GENDER INEQUALITY IS ALIVE AND KICKING IN TECHNOLOGY

Concretely, this means taking time to read articles, watch videos, and keep track of what’s new on top of their normal day-to-day workload.

Regardless of gender, becoming skilled in this industry requires spending time on task, sitting down and following step-by-step instructions to try things out, persisting in the face of errors, persevering and brushing up on math skills when necessary. This can be done either by engaging in self-directed learning or by finding a way to get tutoring, because math skills are key to women pursuing STEM careers. According to Statistics Canada, women who score higher at age 15 on the OECD’s Youth in Transition Survey and its Program for International Student Assessment tests are more likely to choose STEM careers.

Whether it’s in the context of professional STEM careers or trying to engage in do-it-yourself tinkering and innovating with open-source and disruptive technology, women are faced with gender discrimination, partly due to their under-representation in the field and partly due to outdated stereotypes. Students attend the Girls Learning Code computer workshop in Toronto in 2014. Women continue to be woefully under-represented in STEM, and abuse and harassment in the Nonetheless, there are certainly many male makers who male-dominated field play a major role. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young are supportive of women. The best male makers in the community recognize women These are actual comments we have received. for their skills and accomplishments. They don’t get hung up on whether it’s a male, a female or a transgender To counter this, women create fake accounts with male person handling the tools or asking the questions. pseudonyms, which spare them the abuse and allow them to solve their problems efficiently. Of course women who are in STEM can just develop thicker skins and simply ignore the haters. The downside to that When we look at the current situation, it’s barely evolved strategy, however, is that it perpetuates the problems from the era when Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin wrote in the long run. It normalizes hate, creates tolerance of under the male pseudonym George Sand to gain credibility aggressive behaviours and encourages bystanders to for her literary criticism and political texts in the 19th remain silent when they see aggression. century. It also erodes the personal ambition, income, careers and The difference is that it’s 2018, and 3D printing is becoming one of the most important industries of the 21st century. reputations of women in STEM fields. As we head towards the Fourth Industrial Revolution, workers These forms of aggression are part of the glass ceiling for wishing to tap into the high-tech industry will need strong high-tech jobs. analytical skills, including the ability to make sense of torrents They prevent girls and young women, who may be less of data emerging from technological disruptions, and social able to deal with the abuse when simply trying to practise and collaboration skills, such as emotional intelligence and a hobby or complete a school project, from developing an working with others who have different skill sets. interest in STEM in the future. This is the greatest harm. And of course they need programming (coding) skills and Are we still really wondering what are the “other” factors proficiency in operating complex equipment. and influences that prevent women from entering male- By 2020, there will be more than 200,000 new high-tech dominated STEM careers? jobs in Canada, and not enough qualified people to fill them. Co-written with Naomi Wu, an engineer and video blogger in China and advocate Women can and should enrol in college or university programs for women in tech. Wu was named one of the most influential women in 3D to develop many of these high-tech skills, but the truth is printing on International Women’s Day 2017. that with the rapid developments in emergent and disruptive Ann-Louise Davidson, Concordia University Research Chair, Maker culture; technologies, including 3D printing, they also need to engage Associate Professor, Educational Technology, Concordia University in self-directed learning just to stay on top of things. This article was originally published on The Conversation.

28 IPOLITICS MAGAZINE MARCH 2018 Driving digital transformation of government This time they mean it

BY KATHRYN MAY

President of the Treasury Board Scott Brison tours the new Canadian Digital Service (CDS) sector in Ottawa on Monday, January 22, 2018. iPolitics/Matthew Usherwood

reasury Board President Scott Brison is driving a digital “Today, more than ever, companies and governments need strategy he believes will improve the lives of Canadians to understand their core purpose. Otherwise, they’ll be Tand restore the trust and confidence they have lost in irrelevant before they know it. Government’s purpose is to all governments. improve the lives of citizens,” said Brison. For months, Brison and the government’s brash Chief “Getting digital right means more than great government Information Officer Alex Benay have been giving speeches services. After more than 20 years in public service I believe to tech and public service audiences, laying the groundwork digital has the potential to help restore people’s faith in for a digital vision, which if successful, could upend the way government to serve them, listen to them, understand government works, buys, builds and uses technology. them and to respond to their needs.” The two are like a tag team with Benay explaining what This call for a digital revolution in nothing new. Canada’s government should do to go digital, and Brison preaching public service has been readying for a major digital the why. Brison recently broadened his audience with a reckoning since Blueprint 2020, launched by then TEDxKanata talk on the “digital disruption” he is trying to Privy Council Clerk Wayne Wouters under the previous bring to Canada’s public service, which is anchored on the Conservative government. Westminster parliamentary system.

MARCH 2018 IPOLITICS MAGAZINE 29 DRIVING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF GOVERNMENT

But the Trudeau government argues the Conservatives only became a video-streaming operation that left Blockbuster embraced technology as a way to cut costs and reduce the in the dust and upended the Hollywood business model. size of government. It points to the disastrous Phoenix pay “We can’t be a Blockbuster government serving a Netflix system – with the price tag to repair the damage closing on citizenry,” says Brison. $1 billion. Brison wants public servants to “think digitally” and part of The Liberals, on the other hand, say they are harnessing the plan is to instill in government some that “digital start- digital technology to make government better, more up mindset” which drove Netflix. efficient and relevant again. To do that, Canada borrowed from the U.S, which in the The two-year Phoenix debacle has brought an urgency and aftermath of the Obama administration’s catastrophic focus to changing the way government does business and rollout of healthcare.gov, recruited top Silicon Valley talent provides services to Canadians. and embedded its own start-up in government known as “If we don’t fix behaviours as a result of Phoenix, we never 18F and U.S Digital Government Services. will,” said Benay in an interview. ”What more do we need as The model inspired the creation of the Canadian Digital a reason on the technical front to change our behaviour? Services, a swat team of tech geeks housed in Treasury Brison often uses Blockbuster as analogy of what’s in store Board, to tackle IT problems and harness digital to help for government if it doesn’t understand its core business. departments design and build better services. The now defunct video rental empire made it easier to pick CDS is a small but growing team that aims to embody the up videos by putting stores in neighbourhoods across the principles the government is trying to bring to the public country. service. Focus on citizens; try new things; learn and adapt as you go – “what techies call agile or iteration,” says Brison. Netflix, however, realized people wanted entertainment at And “put it all out there – that’s what’s known as open data their fingertips. It delivered DVDs to their doors and then and open source. “

President of the Treasury Board Scott Brison tours the new Canadian Digital Service (CDS) sector in Ottawa on Monday, January 22, 2018. iPolitics/Matthew Usherwood

30 IPOLITICS MAGAZINE MARCH 2018 DRIVING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF GOVERNMENT

Critics have long argued government puts itself ahead of citizens when it delivers services. Respected digital blogger Gerry McGovern said: “digital is increasingly exposing government incompetence and how remote from the real life of people so many in government are, particularly at the senior level.” McGovern was recently in Ottawa telling public servants they could change that by focusing on what Canadians want, not what government does. And what do citizens want? Canadians live digitally when they shop and work and expect the same when dealing with their governments, says Brison. They want single IDs, digitally issued permits, applications, approvals and information. And they want it fast, on their personal devices and 24/7. They’re baffled that they can’t get the same service ordering a passport as they do when making a purchase from Amazon. Why can’t government track Canadians interactions with departments and use that information to improve or customize services? “Think about it, why can’t you get the same quality of service when Chief Information Officer Alex Benay you renew your passport that you get when you buy something from Amazon,” said Brison. services without having to apply. In Denmark and the UK, “This is a way that digital adds value to the relationship. people don’t file taxes and receive an email explaining how Done right, digital should help citizens shape their their returns were calculated. government services. Every time you interact with your government should be an opportunity for the government In Canada, funeral homes still send in faxes to government to learn how its services can better fit your needs.” offices when someone dies. Brison wants to see the day when Canadians don’t have to “Digitizing death notifications is the type of thing that’s apply for government services but they will “automatically doable in the short term,” said Brison. “But … I think we can appear.” Or people could file their taxes in minutes using their be even more ambitious and provide great digital services phones. No wait times. Information and data will be freely to citizens while they are still alive.” shared and used to create new businesses, and services. The government is already sharing information and using And all services don’t have to be provided by government. artificial intelligence to help predict and prepare or the By throwing open its information, government data is outbreak of infectious diseases; track weather patterns or already being mined for weather apps, Google maps and detect risks in children’s toys before any complaints are building new services like Turbotax. even formally lodged. In Estonia, citizens have ID chips that connect them to The government is taking other steps towards a digital everything. They are automatically enrolled in benefits and makeover.

MARCH 2018 IPOLITICS MAGAZINE 31 DRIVING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF GOVERNMENT

It has moved to cloud computing, allowing departments to by a “stronger IT governance structure.” (Phoenix failed lease computer capacity as it needs it from private sector for many reasons but the lack of governance among the firms like Amazon Web Services. It is using blockchain various players is singled out as a major downfall.) technology. It has drafted new IT standards and is working on a new IT strategic plan. It created a digital Brison says the CIO should have the same authority or ‘line advisory board of CIOs, including CIOs from banks and of sight’ into departments as the comptroller general has in insurance companies that have already tackled big digital financial standards in departments. transformations. Many argue Benay’s biggest obstacle is an entrenched Canada is recognized as a world leader in open bureaucracy that resists interference. government; co-chairing this year’s Open Government Benay stepped into the CIO job nearly a year ago with Partnership. It’s getting international attention for its marching orders from Brison to be a “disrupter.” investments in superclusters and is ranked third in the world for its readiness for artificial intelligence. It recently And Benay admits his biggest challenge is its culture, not joined the D7, an international forum of seven countries technology. considered digital leaders. “My role as CIO is to have that conversation with people on The federal budget invested heavily in cyber security and the program, service and policy side and say: ‘maybe we pumped more than $2.2 billion in Shared Services, giving can do things differently.’ And to be frank, I am not sure it the solid funding it needs to keep old legacy systems that is a conversation we are used to having yet. “ operating as government shifts to the cloud. “By being more open; doing more things with more people And it’s gearing up for a shift to ‘agile procurement’ when and releasing more data you end up with a very different designing and buying technology, which is built on ‘starting business model for government. So, when we talk about small and scaling up.” digital government, it is 100 per cent culture change and not technology driven,” said Benay. The days of what Brison calls the big “IT zombie projects” like Phoenix, built on detailed specifications with Brison rejects the “myths” that digital isn’t as secure as government telling vendors what they want, are ending. analog; that people prefer ‘bricks and mortar’ service They don’t work and take so long the technology is often centres and that low-income earners and seniors don’t outdated by time they are completed. enjoy the same online access. Instead, projects will be being tackled in pieces. They will Today, 84 per cent of Canadians file their taxes online and be short and small and industry and government will 68 per cent bank digitally. Canada has 24 million — and collaborate to work out solutions piece by piece. Benay calls counting — smart phones and free WiFI everywhere from it “relentless incrementalism instead of boiling the ocean.” coffee shops to homeless shelters. An example is a small change Immigration Refugee and In fact, Brison even questions the relevance today of home Citizenship Canada made to improve its application process. addresses as the government’s main point of contact with citizens, especially for young Canadians or the precariously Last year, Canadians filed more than 100,000 requests employed who are more likely to have a ‘digital address’, under Canada’s Access to Information law and half came whether an email or cell number, they will keep for a lifetime. from people checking on their immigration applications, including whether they were even received. He argues digital could help low-income families tap into the Canada Learning bond to help save for their children’s A bar code on the application fixed that, notifying post-secondary education. About two-thirds of those eligible applicants by text or email when the forms are received. don’t get the benefit, leaving $1 billion unclaimed. Most, Brison said that step could be expanded to a secure however, do receive the Canada Child Benefit and putting app, allowing people to find immigration rules; complete both on the same application could ‘nudge’ the take up. immigration applications and track them online like an Amazon delivery. A real obstacle, however, is that departments still can’t easily “The bar code may seem like a small thing, but it’s a new share information and the government would have to make way of doing business for government. … Startups know several hundred legislative changes to open that door. digital allows you to start small, build a prototype, put In all his speeches, Brison tells audiences that a company it in the hands users and then make changes based on that fails at digital goes out of business, but a government their experiences. that fails “is out of touch.” At the centre of many of these these changes is an “If citizens aren’t well-served by government, they lose trust expanded role for Benay. in government – all government - because if they can’t trust The budget signaled a more robust role for the CIO to government to do the basics really well, how can they trust ensure the government’s IT systems and data are protected it to do the big things right?”

32 IPOLITICS MAGAZINE MARCH 2018 Anti-social Twitter @journalism #badnews

BY PAUL ADAMS

ith the important exception of the President of the 1 and System 2. System 1 is the quick, intuitive, almost United States, no one is more obsessed with Twitter effortless way of interpreting the world, but it is prone to Wthan journalists are. careless mistakes. System 2 is slower, more deliberative and analytical. It also requires more effort. Twitter is tailor Facebook, with its two billion regular users worldwide is made for System 1: the clever remark that may not have vastly larger than Twitter, with just over 300 million. But been thought through. Twitter’s open structure, which allows journalists to follow whom they like and allows others to follow them, makes it I’ve been active on Twitter since 2011 when the instant the reporter’s darling. reports from people in Cairo’s Tahrir Square in the midst of the Arab Spring got me excited about the possibilities of Twitter is a customizable news feed, allowing journalists to get instant access to other journalists, academics, unmediated access to events – unmediated by the media, politicians and the public at lightning speed. It allows that is. I needed to sift through rumours and misinformation, journalists to try out ideas and swap information, not to but of course that’s exactly what I would have been doing if I mention track what their competitors are doing. It allows were a reporter right there in the square. them to sample a river of public opinion of every stripe and Since then, I have tweeted more than 45,000 times. That shade. They can chase sources for stories and get instant seems astounding to me except when I compare it with feedback from readers – grateful and disgruntled. It is a the Toronto Star’s Daniel Dale, at 78,000 and Paul Wells source and an outlet for snark and humour and fun. with 99,000. But many journalists have begun to feel towards Twitter Were every one of my 45,000 tweets wise, prudent, well- the way most of us feel about the cable company. We can’t considered? As a matter of fact, no. I have inadvertently but quite bring ourselves to cut the cord because of all the too-quickly re-tweeted misinformation and I have offended benefits it brings; but we hate it nonetheless. people I did not intend to offend. On occasion, I’ve failed to Twitter is a sewer, we increasingly hear, stewing with maintain the standards of civility I would expect of others. resentment, expressed in the coarsest of terms. The For news management, this is a problem. While reporters epigrams and irony that made it a pleasant place in the early years has given way to shrieking and sheer personal may direct traffic to the organization’s site through their aggression few of us ever experience in our everyday lives. large Twitter followings, they may also be tempted by And now, Russian trolls have joined the horrid fun. System 1 and Twitter’s sassy, casual ambience to say things that conflict with the organization’s image and standards. The columnist, Andrew Coyne, remarked to me that Twitter Many of the most popular journalists on Twitter have been “brings out the worst in people, and brings out the worst quietly reprimanded by management for slipping the leash. people.” At the CBC, Steve Ladurantaye, himself a former executive at Twitter, was pushed out of his job as managing editor of Coyne, like the Maclean’s columnist Paul Wells, is one of The National after joining a Twitter gang-up on the issue of many journalists, some with tens of thousands of followers, “cultural appropriation”. who have quit the platform. Wells described the experience as being “like slamming on a brake inside your head.” Reporters who live-tweet news events attract followers, but After an interlude, Coyne and Wells both returned. followers to Twitter not the news organization that pays their salaries. A CBC executive told me that at one time Daniel Kahneman, the Israeli psychologist who won the corporation had had to assign producers in Toronto to the Nobel Economic Prize for his work in behavioural monitor their own reporters’ Twitter-feeds to get the news economics, talks about what he calls our brains’ System because when reporters are tweeting they are not filing.

MARCH 2018 IPOLITICS MAGAZINE 33 ANTI-SOCIAL

One of the most frustrating aspects of Twitter from homophobe by a tenured professor or a fellow journalist management’s perspective is that reporters can get sucked can leave a permanent stain. into the Twitter-hole and neglect the work of reporting. Like Facebook, Twitter is engineered to deliver little pops of It is the nature of Twitter that the crassest of comments dopamine – and maybe the occasional rush of adrenaline. uncorks something among others and soon a mob may No one is more susceptible to the time-sucking allure of form – and that only reinforces the confidence of the Twitter than reporters. person who made the original comment. David Fahrenthold, who won a Pulitzer Prize for the Some journalists say they are calloused to it all, but even Washington Post in part by his pioneering use of Twitter a callous is evidence of injury. Twitter is approaching to crowd-source stories about Donald Trump’s charitable the point that email was in the early 2000s when spam shenanigans now goes on the platform only when he has promoting penis-enlargement were so numerous it a story to promote or a question to ask his followers. His was hard to find the morning email from your boss. If reason: Twitter sucks him into the daily White House circus something isn’t done, the system will topple. and distracts him from his work on Trump’s business And all that is leaving aside the appearance of organized interests. trolling as we have seen by Russians in the US, France, For all its many charms, nothing about Twitter is more Finland and so on. I chased down some of the trollier repellent than its savagery. Journalists who write a story comments sent to journalists over the weekend, and someone doesn’t like are accused of partisan bias at best; many of the accounts involved seemed suspicious. Often often they are accused of stupidity, laziness, or negligence. their bios were overloaded with flags and symbols and If they are women they are attacked in the vilest way. Same their own followers too seemed dominated by apparent if they are Black. You don’t even need to be Jewish to be the bots and trolls. subject of anti-Semitic tweets. Journalists are not likely to throw Twitter overboard That’s not to say this is the preserve of the populist right. tomorrow. But the platform has become ugly and clotted As one journalist said to me, being called an asshole by an and is ripe for disruption. obscure troll is unpleasant, but being called a racist or a

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